asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he considers that the rules of behaviour which require persons obtaining disability benefit not to be absent from their place of residence without leaving word where they can be found inflict hardship and inconvenience upon claimants; and if he will consider re-drafting these rules.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Disability Benefit Residence Rule.
30.
Mr. Barrett
The rules of behaviour have been in operation for some 50 years and no general fault has been found with them or with the manner of their application in all that time. They are the minimum necessary to ensure that the recipient satisfies the conditions for the receipt of disability benefit and that he does not impede his restoration to good health.
I do not consider that the rule referred to in the question inflicts hardship or inconvenience upon recipients of disability benefit, but I am prepared to alter the wording of it to correspond with the form suggested by Senator Garret FitzGerald in the course of the debate in an Seanad on the Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Bill, 1965, if that would please the Deputy. This wording is—"If he absents himself from his place of residence he shall leave word as to where he may be found", and it has, in fact, been adopted in the rules of behaviour for persons in receipt of injury benefit.
If an inspector calls looking for a person on disability benefit and there is no one in the house—the doctor has advised him to keep out in the air; his children are at school; and his wife is perhaps working—is it the practice for the inspector to go away and report that the man is not in, or will inquiries be made from a neighbour's house to find out where he is? He cannot put a notice on the door saying where he is. I am asking this because it has been brought to my notice recently that this is what happens.
The Deputy is, of course, citing an extreme case, and in matters of disability benefit, I do not think I would be too anxious to approve of inquiring of the neighbours.
So long as the Minister agrees that no action will be taken against someone who is not at home when an inspector calls, I do not mind leaving the regulation as it is, but if there is a question of taking some disciplinary action against someone who is carrying out his doctor's orders by going away from home during the day, I think something should be done.
(Cavan): Would it not be reasonable to look for him as the Minister was looked for a few moments ago?
We are both very considerate in these cases. He can say that the doctor advised him to take the fresh air.
I am afraid it is the practice to suspend payment in such cases.
Has the Deputy a question to put to the Minister?
I think that is wrong.
I would not like to think that the Department would prosecute any individual, but, on the other hand, I can assure the Deputy that we meet many of the other cases where the man is out working when we come looking for him. Sometimes an innocent victim suffers as a result.
The payment is suspended and there is no money at the end of the week.
A person turned up in Tralee for examination and it was reported that he failed to turn up and the benefit was discontinued.
The Minister failed to turn up here today.